Reviews

Lirael by Garth Nix

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Goodreads really needs to incorporate half-star ratings. I would give Lirael 4.5 stars rather than 5 or 4.

Lirael is a Daughter of the Clayr who hasn't received the Sight and is getting older and older. She ends up working in the library and discovering how unique her talent with Charter magic is.

I enjoyed the second trip back into this world. It was good to see Sabriel still around and hear a little from her but to see the deeper aspects of the Clayr was great.

I still want to know more. The ending was a twist I'd predicted early but was satisfied with. I wanted more Mogget. More Disreputable Dog. More magic.

This is definitely a second book though. It doesn't stand on it's own the way the first one did nor does it have the same revelations.

I can't wait to start Abhorsen!

midnightallie's review against another edition

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dark emotional mysterious medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

otterkitty's review

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adventurous emotional funny hopeful inspiring mysterious fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

5.0

ismurray's review against another edition

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adventurous dark slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

cactusbby's review

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adventurous emotional mysterious tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

diarmuid's review

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3.0

I'd originally read some of this YEARS ago, and it was all I'd read from the series (despite being book two). I remembered it just being nice and cosy and wishing the start could just go on forever.

Well, much older and I can agree that the start is the best part of the book, and all i want really. Just Lirael chilling in the glacier, learning her magic, getting stronger. Great stuff. I think I preferred this part to Sabriel. Then we sometimes switch over to Sam, who I hated. So whiny and boring. I know he is supposed to be, so that he can grow, but it doesn't work when we're stuck with him for chapters at a time and being pulled away from the books namesake character. When their paths converge it's a better amount of Sam, and he's better tempered by Lirael and coming into his own a bit more (although still a bit useless, I mean he could do great magic in his intro and then forgets how?). However at this point I'd realized that the book was really a part 1 of 2 and I didn't really care because I knew the story wouldn't finish anytime soon. The ending did hype me up for the next book.